Northern Light IRL: Lazier wastes no time finding speed in Miami testing
26 January 2001
MIAMI- Buddy Lazier had only one big goal in testing for the first time at Homestead-Miami Speedway - to be able to come back and win the Infiniti Grand Prix of Miami on April 6-8, the debut of the Indy Racing Northern Light Series in South Florida.“That’s the only reason we’re coming here, to win, and if we can’t win, to score as many points as we can for the championship,” said Lazier, the 2000 Northern Light Cup champion. “I think we’re going to be in good shape. We were just warming up, and we were already turning competitive times.”
Lazier turned a top lap of 27.23 seconds, 198.3 mph, second only in testing to Scott Sharp’s lap of 200.3 mph Jan. 19. But running a fast lap was not the reason Lazier came to test.
“Testing is not about speed,” he said. “You’re making a big mistake if all you do is test to get the ultimate lap. This is about learning, documenting certain technical changes and data, so that when you come back, you can make the right choices.”
That doesn’t mean that Lazier won’t be gunning for the MBNA Pole in qualifications April 7.
“I’d just as soon start up front,” Lazier said, “but in this series, sitting on the pole is not an advantage. It’s a long race, and all the cars are very equal, so you’re not going to win the race from where you start.” If anyone knows that, it’s Lazier. He won the Northern Light Series event last March at Phoenix after starting from the rear of the field and deftly navigating traffic the entire day. 1996 Indianapolis 500 winner Lazier expects similar excitement at Miami.
“You’re going to have a whole field that’s bunched up, and you’re going to see a lot of wheel-to-wheel racing,” Lazier said. “I think that Miami is going to love the race, it’s going to be very exciting.”
Lazier has visited Homestead-Miami Speedway as a spectator, but the three-day test comprised his first actual laps on the 1.5-mile oval. “This track is wonderful,” he said. “It took me a while to get used to the blue walls, but the track’s really smooth, and it’s going to be a real driving and handling racetrack. It’s going to be tricky racetrack to get a handle on. The way the wind hits you coming out of Turn 1 also caught me by surprise.
“It’s a great facility. The fans can see all the action from the stands, and it doesn’t look like there’s a single bad seat in the house.”
Text Provided By Paul Kelly
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